(33:51) When it comes to keeping our schools safe and responding to emergencies, the entire community must be on the same page. On this episode, we chat with Hutto ISD Police Chief William Edwards and TASB's Emergency Management and School Safety Consultant Melanie Moss about how districts can best partner with law enforcement and first responders. 

©2018 Texas Association of School Boards, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

This month, we are highlighting one of our favorite TASB Talks episodes. We spoke to Texas trustees and superintendents about how they connect their schools and communities.

©2018 Texas Association of School Boards, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

(30:55) We chat with former State Board of Education member and TASB consultant Thomas Ratliff about two hot-button topics, charter schools and vouchers. How do charter schools perform compared to ISDs on metrics like testing, graduation rate, and dropout rate? What are the real costs of a voucher program? Is a voucher just a family's money "following the child"? Find out on the latest episode of TASB Talks.

©2018 Texas Association of School Boards, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

(18:08) We've heard a lot on the news lately about special education in Texas. How are students classified as special education? Who determines eligibility and what's the process for identification? We sit down with Dr. Karlyn Keller and Valerie Gomez of TASB Special Education Solutions to get answers to these questions, and more. Our guests also address the US Department of Education's recent conclusion that Texas violated federal law with regard to students with disabilities. 

©2018 Texas Association of School Boards, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

(21:31) Do decisions made at the highest level of a school district affect learning in the classroom? We talk to Phil Gore, PhD, about his research in this area, and specific steps boards can take to impact student achievement. 

©2018 Texas Association of School Boards, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

(23:42) We interview leading education-change advocate Will Richardson about challenging traditional classrooms and ways of learning. Will believes schools have to change to reflect the way we learn today. He will be the keynote speaker at Winter Governance and Legal Seminar (WGLS) March 1–3 in Galveston. We also speak with the WGLS event planners to see what's in store for this year's event, including 18 student-led sessions. Registration is now open at tasb.org/wgls. ©2018 Texas Association of School Boards, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

(18:17) We talk to TASB Executive Director Jim Crow about the ups and downs of 2017 and look to the future with a discussion of board member advocacy efforts for 2018.

©2018 Texas Association of School Boards, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

(22:57) As the Texas Education Agency (TEA) transitions from the current accountability system to A–F, what changes can school districts expect? Susan Whisenant, director of curriculum and instructional design for TASB, discusses how grades are determined and what trustees and administrators should do now to prepare for the release of the ratings. 

©2017 Texas Association of School Boards, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

(24:00) Over the last few years, we've seen an increase in immigration enforcement. How does this affect schools and what can they do to minimize any disruption? Joy Baskin, division director for TASB Legal Services joins us to discuss these issues and more, including what schools should do if law enforcement requests access to a student or student records, and how schools can respond to protests.

©2017 Texas Association of School Boards, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

(17:46) Texas public schools are open to all students, regardless of immigration status. Has this always been the case? What is the difference between an immigrant and foreign student? How do our public schools verify eligibility for admission, including residency and age? Joy Baskin of TASB Legal Services answers these questions and more on part one of our immigration episode.

©2017 Texas Association of School Boards, Inc. All Rights Reserved.